Nowadays, in the remote-working world we live in, the Internet is a borderline necessity. If we were to put it intoMaslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it would probably look something like this:

When you were in the office, it might have been a quick phone call to IT, with just enough time to make a cup of tea before those geniuses had it all sorted. Back to work, back to productivity. If anything, it could be classed as a welcome break and a chance to catch up with some colleagues.

Now, though, you have to wait in the dreaded phone queue with your internet provider, so how do you stay productive while you wait for your WiFi to work? Here’s a few things you can do while you wait…

Sort your “desk” out

You’ve probably already built your recruitment desk, but what about your actual, physical desk? This is a nice and simple one to start that probably won’t take too long. Unless you’re still using some of themakeshift desks knocking about on LinkedIn… but ask yourself, is that feasible in the long run?

Use this time to make your workspace as comfortable and organised as possible. Here’s a few ideas:

File away the piles of paperwork

Sort out the tangled mess of cables behind your laptop,

Put a plant by your desk – oxygen = a happy brain

Decorate your desk with framed pictures of your loved ones

Stick up some of your kids’ many drawings they’ve done while home-schooling (or some of yours, who knows what people get up to in lockdown)

Go over your to-do list

We know that many recruiters use online to-do lists and project management tools such as Trello, ClickUp, Monday etc. It’s a bit of a pain if you can’t access them, so why not revise it in a Word or Excel document?

Not being able to look at your main to-do list might be a blessing in disguise – it may help you get more organised and driven as you will likely remember the top priority things you need to do!

Once you’ve got your to-do list sorted out and prioritised, you’ll be able to go back to your tasks with a clear plan of what needs to be done when.

Get on the phones

So you’re organised, your space is clean and you’re ready to work, but the internet is still down. LinkedIn is a no-go, emails are getting stuck in your outbox and you can’t get onto your remote-based CRM, so why not use your phone and take notes like the recruiters of old?

You could work on your script for cold-calling to make it as engaging as possible, or even try a few other tactics. Be a mate. A friend. A confidant. A real human that doesn’t spit out reams of business jargon every time you pick up the phone. And this sounds remarkably simple, but it’s remarkable the number of recruiters who don’t seem to manage it. When we chat to candidates their biggest gripe is that recruiters are impersonal, dull, solely business focused and incredibly transactional.

Hold on, you can hotspot from your phone?

If you have tons of data (like most phone contracts these days) then you could always hotspot from your phone to your laptop… probably should have said this from the start.

For plenty more advice and top tips about working remotely visit our latest content our Recruitment Covid-19 hub from our beginning guide to remotely working to how to keep your team motivated and engaged.

Established in 2002, formerly known as Recruitment Consultant Magazine until our November 2011 rebrand, this leading monthly title prides itself on providing balanced journalism, accuracy and news and features for all involved in the business of recruitment from around the world